DavidsTea’s The Earl’s Garden

I love a good Earl Grey, I cannot lie. I received this bag of The Earl’s Garden as part of a Christmas present and I’ve been happily sipping it ever since (spoiler alert: I will probably get more). What I love about the classic Earl Grey is the good black tea base with the fresh citrus scent of the bergamot. The Earl’s Garden does not disappoint with the strong citrus aroma that is laced with strawberries.

The Earl’s Garden consists of: organic black tea, marigold petals, strawberry, cornflower petals, natural strawberry & bergamot flavouring. I like that I can see and/or smell all of the ingredients. The strong bergamot and strawberry aromas are almost intoxicating because they’re that strong, it really does make me more eager for a cup!

Preparation

DavidsTea recommends steeping The Earl’s Garden in 96°C (204°F) water for 4-7 minutes. I steeped my pot of The Earl’s Garden for about 5 minutes.

First Taste

The Earl’s Garden steeps to a clear reddish brown that has a very subtle strawberry aroma to it. The fragrance of strawberries overpowers the bergamot, which is a bit surprising considerin the fact that bergamot is often the starring ingredient in an Earl Grey. First sips of a cup of this tea does not disappoint though. The citrus taste of the bergamot mingles very well with the subdued strawberry taste in the steeped tea. There’s just a touch of sweetness to the tea that makes the berry flavour come out even more. The black tea base is fairly similar to the other Earl Grey-inspired teas I’ve had from DavidsTea – no bitterness for the amount of time I steeped it for, and it tastes like a strong black tea base. What really sets this tea apart is the strawberry and bergamot combination. Just a mild sweetness that would be good for anyone wanting a little treat. I did add a bit of sweetener (white sugar, for those curious) to my tea and it does brighten up the flavour a lot by bringing out more of the strawberry taste.

A Second Cup?

I tried resteeping The Earl’s Garden and it sadly didn’t work out. The tea was weak and the magical strawberry and bergamot combination was sorely lacking. This tea is a one time trip to The Earl’s Garden and doesn’t hold up for one more steep.

My Overall Impression

I loved DavidsTea’s The Earl’s Garden. I’m a sucker for Earl Grey in general, and the strawberry addition just works for this tea. The mild sweetness of the strawberry in the steeped tea really makes the tea stand out from other Earl Grey-inspired teas. I do think I will continue to add a sweetener to this tea though, as that does make the flavours pop out more for me. It is a nice change from the classic Earl Grey, which I still love, and it can definitely be doctored up with sugar and cream.

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5 thoughts on “DavidsTea’s The Earl’s Garden”

Did you know that this tea has been discontinued? I have been waiting a month for some at my local store. They had no idea it was discontinued so I had no advance notice. It is my absolute favourite and I have several cups a day. I only found out the sad truth by contacting head office. They said they saying goodbye to an old friend to make way for a new one. Not how I treat my old friends!

Just one more steep…

One More Steep is a tea review blog written by Michelle, who lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. A self-proclaimed tea enthusiast, she's thoughtfully sipping every cup of tea that comes her way and branching out from the cupboard staples of Earl Grey and orange pekoe. Click here for more about One More Steep and Michelle.

Unless otherwise stated, any prices mentioned are in Canadian dollars (CAD $).